Judge postpones hearing of Lozoya in Agronitrogenados case for February 16

The control judge of the Federal Criminal Justice Center of the North Prison, Gerardo Genaro Alarcón López, agreed to postpone the intermediate hearing until February 16 so that the defense of the former director of Petróleos Mexicanos, Emilio Lozoya Austinconclude the review of evidence in the Agronitrogenados case.

This is the third postponement of the intermediate hearing that Lozoya’s defense has requested, and has been accepted. However, Judge Alarcón admitted to the defense that it will be the last extension granted so that Lozoya and Pemex determine if they reach a reparation agreement in the case of the purchase-sale of the plant. Agronitrogenados.

It should be noted that the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) accuses Emilio Lozoya of money laundering, bribery and improper exercise of public service for allegedly having received 3.2 million dollars from the company Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA), in exchange for Pemex -during his tenure- acquired the Agronitrogenados plant at a premium. For this matter, Emilio Lozoya offers Pemex 3 million 400,000 dollars as a reparation agreement.

Prior to a hearing this Tuesday in the courts of the North Prison in Mexico City, Lozoya’s lawyer, Miguel Ontiveros Alonso, announced that he would request the postponement of the hearing to continue the analysis of more than 1,000 pages of the case file.

He said that his client remains firm in the offer to repair the damage. “Also tell the president that this defense and Mr. Lozoya Austin are going to continue collaborating with the Attorney General’s Office in the context of the reported events linked to acts of corruption that occurred in the past,” he said.

Meanwhile, Emilio Lozoya also faces criminal proceedings for the case Odebrecht. For this process, the former director offered Pemex a compensation of 7 million 385,000 dollars so that the Attorney General’s Office suspends the two criminal proceedings against him for the crimes of money laundering, bribery and criminal association.

Likewise, Lozoya has an open process for an alleged debt with the Tax Administration Service (SAT), for which the former director of Pemex also offered -through his lawyer Alejandro Rojas- to compensate 2 million 695,985 pesos that he allegedly had not declared before the SAT in 2016 for Income Tax (ISR).

jorge.monroy@eleconomista.mx